Press Releases

Merkley Statement on Conclusion of Global Plastics Treaty Talks

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a long-time leader and fierce advocate for tackling the plastic pollution crisis across its entire life cycle—released the following statement after the conclusion of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Switzerland: “For plastics, many

Senator Welch, Oregon Governor Kotek, Sens. Klobuchar, Luján, Wyden, and Merkley Host Press Call on Republicans’ Attack on SNAP, Nutrition Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Nutrition and Specialty

Merkley, Van Hollen, Colleagues: Trump’s Military Actions in Yemen Must Follow the Law

Washington, D.C. – As President Trump visits the Middle East this week, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Maryland’s U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen—both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—today led their colleagues in demanding answers from the administration about its military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and

Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Ban Conversion Therapy 

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore) today announced they are co-sponsoring legislation that would ban so-called “conversion therapy,” a practice fraudulently claiming to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.  “Forcing Americans into sham therapy for a non-existent illness is medieval quackery, not modern

Padilla, Merkley, Schakowsky Introduce Bicameral Bill to Strengthen Nursing Staff Standards, Improve Patient Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on International Nurses Day, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act to improve hospital patient care and nurse retention by setting mandatory minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09)

Welch, Wyden, Merkley, Schumer, Lead Colleagues in Fight to Protect Head Start, Meals on Wheels, Social Services from Republican Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today led the Senate Democratic Caucus in sending an open letter to the public exposing the

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